Follow these steps to stay connected even if communication networks go down while travelling.
Many of us will 'holiday here this year' visiting new or familiar destinations across Australia. As you prepare for your trip over the long weekend or school holidays it's important to take a few minutes and think about how you will stay safe, connected and informed if communication networks go down.
Most of us rely on being able to make calls or access apps to stay connected to family and friends, websites and social media. What would you do if there was an emergency or natural disaster and your phone, internet connection or mobile phone no longer worked?
To help you stay safe, connected and informed while travelling, take a look at what you can do to be prepared:
Steps you can take to stay safe and connected
- Pack a portable radio with a spare set of batteries and a backup power source for your devices, such as a battery pack.
- For remote travel, consider taking a personal locator beacon, UHF radio or satellite phone.
- Before you leave, check local weather forecasts and adjust your travel if bad weather is predicted.
- Talk about your travel plans to loved ones and take a paper copy of their contact details with you.
When you arrive at your destination:
- Familiarise yourself with the area and chat to locals.
- Find the local radio stations and write down their frequencies.
Remember, if you do get caught in a natural disaster and communication networks go down, follow advice from emergency personnel on the ground.
Find out more
More information about how to prepare for a communications outage and ways you can stay safe, connected and informed during a natural disaster is available on this website.